The Environmental Stewardship Group

On the 1st March 2021 a fl edgling collaboration of 4 key organisations within the sector took a signifi cant step forward by offi cially launching themselves as the Environmental Stewardship Group.

The “ESG” is an innovative collaboration between organisations who between them have in excess of 350 years interaction with the bereavement sector. The Cremation Society of Great Britain, (CSGB) The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, (ICCM) The Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) and the CDS Group (CDS), representing public and private interests, but have come together to address the implications raised by the Climate Emergency for our sector.

In September 2020 we held our first tentative meeting, with executive officers and respective Chairs / Presidents where we broached the subject of Climate Emergency declarations and overall environmental impacts for the sector and how perhaps together, we could make a difference.

Two months later we agreed that there was sufficient common ground to move forward and explore how as a group we could meet the challenges before us. An overview of the implications and challenges relating to the Climate Emergency drawn from the Government, Environment Agency and Committee of Climate Change provided a backdrop to deciding the road ahead.

At this meeting we agreed upon the name and its strapline which would serve to frame our approach as well as giving a collective direction to our intentions.

Our discussions progressed to creating a set of objectives which would fully underpin this position.

Protect the environment.

To take a series of measures to reduce existing and negative impacts by 2025.

Promote continuous improvement.

To establish an industry wide approach to driving positive change and innovation.

Shape regulatory requirements.

To influence, legislation, guidance and advice that reflects the industry as a whole.

Communicating commitment.

To embed within the sector pro-active and positive commitment to promoting the sector's actions and efforts. However, the real question was how to get a clear understanding of where the sector as a whole sat, what were the constituent parts of the sector and how to get

a meaningful insight.

We recognised that all members of the group had varying amounts of information and data, some live, some anecdotal but in reality, not enough to be able to speak for or on behalf of everyone confidently.

It was agreed that we needed to facilitate open engagement in surroundings which encourage open and honest dialogue and by utilising Chatham House rules this activity could provide the robust framework needed. So a “year zero” approach was adopted where we would take timeout to gather the required information after our launch.

Having approached the Environment Agency, we managed to secure 2 key individuals to take part in the official launch event where over 80 individuals not only listened to what the ESG was planning to do but took part in a series of Breakout rooms where they could fully engage with responding to questions, comments, and suggestions. Needless to say, it was extremely well received, and a recording and slides of the event are to

be found on our fledgling website:

www.environmentalstewardshipgroup.org.uk

At the end of the event our speakers left us with some very apt words of advice and encouragement: -

“No one person or organisation or government policy will solve the issue of the climate emergency for you and your business. It will require effort from all parts of society and is as much a cultural shift as a policy one.

You know your business better than anyone so it’s imperative that you get as much information as possible to help know the risks and opportunities so you can create bespoke practical plans to ensure the continued sustainability and success of your sector.”

Lee Rawlinson, Director of Regulated Industry, The Environment Agency.

And to further underpin that our guest Chair for the event further challenged us : -

“In a sector with a great degree of sensitivity around cultural change, the court of public opinion is changing fast, sustainability and environmental issues are at the forefront of market change, those who rise to this challenge will be at the forefront of market advantage, those who lag behind will be at a significant disadvantage.”

Richard Macdonald, Deputy Chair, The Environment Agency

With those words of encouragement and the responses from the breakout rooms, we have since embarked on a series of virtual round tables where we have been able to in part educate about the Climate Emergency and its impact on our sectors, but in addition we have been able to ask specific questions in relation to current levels of understanding, gaps in knowledge, support required and concerns about what is required and how to move forward.

The round table virtual events have been focused on the 4 sub sections as identified in the graphic top right: -

Each event has been structured specifically for those organisations and individuals operating in those fields, this is to ensure that we have a set of specific responses focusing on their area of operations only. From the activities to date, and from the engagement and feedback received we certainly appear to be meeting an unmet need. However, as you would expect for some this is the first time of consideration, for others there is a greater in-depth knowledge being shown.

Some suggest legislation is the only answer, whilst others proffer “tradition” as a barrier to change, different approaches to “more information, support and clearer unbiased communications” are regularly flagged as must haves.

Whilst we have only had 6 weeks since our launch, the depth and breadth of discussions has proven to be both exciting and promising for the way ahead.

What is most encouraging is the clarity of purpose being displayed by all sections of the sector recognising they want to address the issues with help and guidance. Therefore, it is paramount that we continue to move forward in our understanding or how together we can address these issues.

Perhaps it is pertinent at this stage in the article that we pose some questions for you our colleagues to consider?

Do you fully understand the impact of the Climate Emergency?

Do you know how it will affect you and your workplace? Are you aware of the simple steps that you can take to

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP GROUP

start making a difference?

Have you considered your customers and where they fit into this scenario?

For some this may seem daunting, for others they may be able to take this in their stride, but one thing is clear inaction is not an option.

Therefore, what support would you like?

What could the ESG do for you?

These actions and activities will become business critical in the next few months and years. Announcements are

being made daily about how various industries are responding to the need to reduce their carbon footprint, Jaguar cars are going fully electric by 2025, Volvo by 2030. Alternative power source suppliers are racing to take up the predicted 80% decline of gas in the next 30 years. Jet Zero and Green Shipping will impact on costs of imports. Road transport will see the biggest overhaul in significantly reducing its emissions.

As a country we are legislated to achieve Carbon Net Zero by 2050, that means any capital expenditure on plant and equipment with more than a 20-year life expectancy will have to be either carbon neutral or have a strong net zero offsetting plan from 2030 onwards.

With the UK hosting COP26 in November this year and the establishment of the Office for the Protection of the Environment we can be sure that there will be a raft of new legislation, guidance, and advice landing on our desks.

The ESG wants to ensure that as a sector together we can demonstrate our willingness and ability to meet all challenges to further underline just how much we care.

Info@environmentalstewardshipgroup.org.uk

www.environmentalstewardshipgroup.org.uk

Jon Cross FIoD ESG Group Facilitator

To fi nd out how to advertise in the Journal, please visit the ICCM website at www.iccm-uk.com, or email sofi a.allana@iccm-uk.com

Development in Progress – March 2021

From planning to completion, we’re with you every step of the way.

For over 20 years, CDS has pioneered the development of cemeteries and crematoria throughout the UK and overseas.

You may know us as Cemetery Development Services. We have rebranded and expanded but we have made sure we retained all the core values and expertise that enabled us to build our market leading reputation. CDS are with you every step of the way from Feasibility Studies, Landscape and Concept Design through to Planning, Construction and Delivery, ensuring a seamless experience from inception to completion. Our teams of highly qualified specialists - field surveyors, engineers and designers - are committed to creating beautifully landscaped and thoughtfully constructed developments. Ones that have distinctive spatial qualities but that also offer excellent commercial value, and that are low-maintenance environments with minimal operational costs. Our Green Agenda also ensures that our developments are environmentally friendly, offer reductions in emissions and pollution whilst helping improve biodiversity. For more information on how The CDS Group can help, phone us on +44 (0)1525 864387 or visit our website.

Covid 19 – A lesson learned. (A play in one act)

The scene: mid 2021; a Bereavement Services office in a dark corner of the Civic Centre, where mushrooms thrive. The walls lined with shelves straining with ‘the records’. A mixture of registers in various states of decay; treasury boxes with cryptic script, some legible some not; boxes of letters dating back to the mid-seventies sorted by date and map drawers containing dilapidated plans of the cemetery, some apparently, supporting life.

It is the first day back in the office for everyone after lockdown. Present are Carol Manager (CM), Simon Admin (SA) and Councillor Dubious (Cllr Dubious)

Cllr Dubious (channelling Old Mr Grace): I just popped by to thank you all for your efforts during the pandemic, you did a marvellous job under difficult circumstances.

CM: Thank you Councillor, it has not been easy and it’s become pretty obvious that we need to have a fundamental review of how we do things here.

Cllr Dubious: If that means spending money, forget it, we’ve got none.

CM: Not necessarily, but several issues arose during lockdown that my staff had to deal with. This will happen again, we need to be better prepared.

Cllr Dubious: (suddenly interested) Issues? I’ve heard nothing from my constituents, have you? We’ve an election coming up.

CM: No, my staff made things right, as they always do, but our organisation didn’t help them at all. We had to spend hours telling each other what we’d done each day, who had what paperwork and so on. Take the registers for instance. We couldn’t take them home, so someone had to come into the office when we needed access. Last year’s risk assessments means that two of my staff are not allowed to touch the older registers as they are too big and heavy; the registers that is. The maps are a health hazard; some have mould growing on them. The letters are almost unsearchable. We did an exercise, picked a grave at random and tried to find all the records associated with it – it took over two hours. Cllr Dubious: Cemetery offices have always been like that surely? Comes with the territory.

SA: They may have been Councillor, but we’ve now 160 years of records and we’re adding more every day. Alternatives are possible. At the last place I worked we had a computer system called Epitaph which held all the Statutory records, maps, correspondence, everything really. It was also cloud based so we could access it from anywhere, even from the cemetery. Those two hours Carol mentioned - two minutes.

Cllr Dubious: I’ve just come from Planning, they’ve tied up the IT department trying to access their software and to work collaboratively whilst all at home, it’s been a complete shamble.

CM: These people have been successfully supplying cloud-based software for over 15 years; if they can’t sort us out no one can. We wouldn’t be involving IT at all; the responsibility is all with Epitaph.

Cllr Dubious: Sounds expensive and vulnerable, how do we know our records are safe? You’ll have to put in a Capital bid, book some time with IT and we’d need a formal procurement process. This could cost a lot of money and take up a lot of staff time. We’ve just been thought that process in Parks, it took four years.

minimal involvement, just some help setting it up and nothing after that. As for procurement, we started that, but when we saw what had been proposed we had no confidence we’d get anything like what we needed. Fortunately, Epitaph is available through the EverythingICT procurement platform which means we could enter a contract with them rather than the supplier. EverythingICT therefore bear all the risks, they’ve already put Epitaph through the scrutiny an inhouse procurement process would do, probably far better.

Cllr Dubious: Well that’s all fine, but in what dim and distant corner of the world would our records be held? How are they secure?

CM: Epitaph records are held in the UK on the company servers in Coventry. They back up records every hour, both to their own servers and to a third party data storage company called DATTO who would provide back up if the main office went offline. We can have two part authentication at our end to prevent anyone accessing what they shouldn’t. The people at Epitaph actually hire people every year to try to break through their security but they never get anywhere. Keeping all our records here in one place is like keeping our savings under the mattress.

SA: One big advantage for us is being able to scan all of our paperwork and attach it to bookings, graves, ERoB transfers, memorial applications, and the like. We can email directly to Funeral Directors, Stone Masons, we can even return the green part C slips to the Registrar via email, so we won’t be spending much on postage. We could even scan in those letters, make some use of them at last.

CM: There were two whole days I had to spend with the registers helping people find records; all those genealogists sitting at home with time on their hands. If we had Epitaph’s HeritEDGE mapping, we could share maps and records through our own website and let the public find their own records and print off location maps.

SA: All this paperwork here is the result of the memorial inspections I’ve been doing. I’ve now to put these into a spreadsheet and then write letters to the three hundred or so owners with dangerous memorials, so that’s the rest of the week taken up. If we had Epitaph, all I would have to do is plug in their InspectEDGE tablet, upload the results and hit a few buttons to send the letters and to order immediate make-safe work.

Cllr Dubious: I’m very sceptical about this, it sounds too good to be true. Software in my experience is always out of date, never works properly and I’ve always had to fight to get any support. When I do it’s usually some technical person who doesn’t understand me and who I can’t understand in return.

SA: Actually, Epitaph never let us down. Help was always available via the phone or email. We also had direct access to their helpdesk which allowed us to monitor and comment on issues we’d raised. Because it’s cloud based, they can and do update the software regularly, every few weeks or so, so we’ll always be on the latest version. They also employ Bereavement Services professionals with nearly 50 years of experience between them, they speak our language. If you have a problem, they can join you in Epitaph and work out what’s wrong.

Cllr Dubious: But the money?

CM: It’s really not a lot, I’m sure I can find it in Revenue.

Cllr Dubious: (laughs) Why didn’t you say? I’m not on that committee. Well done everybody, carry on! (Exits hurriedly).

EDGE IT Systems Limited, Enterprise House, Courtaulds Way, Coventry, CV6 5NX, UK Telephone: +44 (0)24 7666 7337 Fax: +44 (0)24 7666 7657 Email: info@edgeITsystems.com